D&AD: Wieden+Kennedy’s Chairman On His Dream Campaign

D&AD asked the world’s most potent creatives what they’d seen in 2013 that made them think ‘I wish I’d done that’?

To discuss advertising, we asked Dan Wieden, the winner of the 2012 D&AD President’s Award, and Chairman of one of the most influential advertising agencies this side of the millennium, Wieden+Kennedy.

These films were produced by Factory Fifteen, for Nexus Productions.

To find out more about the brains behind Climate Name Change, Barton F. Graf 9000, we spoke to founder Gerry Graf.

Can you give us a short history of Barton F. Graf 9000?

We started out in 2010 in the back room of a friend’s company. In 2011 we were named one of the agencies to watch by Advertising Age. In 2012 we were named one of the ten most creative agencies in the world by AdAge. We now have 45 employees. It’s been crazy.

I love Roald Dahl, but the name came from the video game Doom. Big F’in Gun.

How do you describe the Barton F. Graf 9000 style?

We create things you’ve never seen before but will want to see over and over.

Is comedy the key to great advertising?

Honesty is the key to great advertising. Being real is. It just so happens that reality is often funny.

Dan Wieden said of Climate Name Change, “I Wish I’d Done That’. How does that feel?

To have our work mentioned by one of the most, maybe the most, important men in the past 30 years of advertising is mind blowing.

What were your fears in creating Climate Name Change?

We didn’t want it to come off as partisan, just bashing the right. There are idiots and bad people on both sides.

Is dabbling in politics dangerous for ad agencies?

If you have a great idea, who cares which side it’s for.

Is climate change a topic that’s close to the heart of BFG9000?

Hurricane Sandy hit Manhattan last year. Hurricanes are supposed to hit Florida which is 1500 miles south, never NYC. After going through that we started talking about the fact that it’s quite obvious that we have completely altered the weather patterns.

What have been some of the more extreme responses to the Climate Name Change?

President Obama’s office called us and said they liked it. That was pretty huge.

D&AD’s White Pencil celebrates work that puts a social or environmental change at its heart. Is this something you expect to see more of from the advertising industry?

Yes. There are brilliant creative minds in our industry. I think they would like to have a chance to make the world a better place.